Nigeria's rising quarter-mile star, Samuel Ogazi, once again shattered the national record and matched the world-leading time at the SEC Track and Field Championships held in Auburn, Alabama, USA, over the weekend.
Historic Performance
Ogazi delivered a stunning run of 43.95 seconds in the men's 400 meters, making him the first Nigerian ever to achieve such a time. The only other athlete to post 43.95 seconds this season is American runner Jonathan Simms.
Just two weeks ago, Ogazi had broken Innocent Egbunike's long-standing national record of 44.17 seconds, which had stood for 39 years, with a time of 44.02 seconds. On Saturday, the Kaduna-born athlete proved his readiness to compete on the world stage by dipping under 44 seconds for the first time.
Progressive Improvement
Ogazi, a 20-year-old student at the University of Alabama, began his season with a time of 44.57 seconds in March. He has since shown remarkable progress, joining the exclusive club of sub-44-second runners.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Ogazi is expected to compete at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games in July. He will face top competitors such as Christopher Morales Williams of Canada (44.30 seconds), Lythe Pilay of South Africa (44.32 seconds), and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana (44.37 seconds), based on their season's best performances.
